NCAA Game Summary - Marshall at Middle Tennessee

Murfreesboro, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Logan Kilgore's touchdown pass to Tavarres Jefferson on the final play of the game gave Middle Tennessee a 51-49 win over Marshall on Thursday.

Marshall had taken a 49-45 lead with 2:29 to play on Essray Taliaferro's 2-
yard touchdown run and Middle Tennessee started the drive at its own 21.

On 3rd-and-12, Kilgore found Jefferson for 24 yards then went back to
Jefferson on the next play for another 14-yard gain. Facing a 3rd-and-4,
Kilgore again went to Jefferson for a 5-yard gain to move the sticks.

The Blue Raiders were then down to one play on a 4th-and-5 at the 27, and
Kilgore once again looked to his favorite target in Jefferson for an 18-yard
strike to move the ball to the 9-yard line with eight seconds left.

After an incomplete pass to Terry Pettis, Middle Tennessee had one shot left
with three seconds remaining and Kilgore made it count as he found Jefferson
in the end zone for the score and the win.

Kilgore was 22-for-40 passing for 277 yards and four touchdowns with an
interception, while Jefferson caught seven passes for 91 yards and the score
for the Blue Raiders (4-4, 2-2 C-USA), who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Rakeem Cato was 19-for-35 passing for 235 yards, three touchdowns and an
interception for the Thundering Herd (4-3, 2-1), who had won their previous
two coming into the game.

Kilgore and Kyle Griswould got together on a 16-yard score on Middle
Tennessee's first possession, but Marshall answered on its ensuing touch as
Cato found Jazz King for a 39-yard score.

Middle Tennessee took a 14-7 lead later in the first as a blocked punt saw
Chris Brown fall on the loose ball in the end zone.

Taliaferro, who finished the game with 134 yards on 24 carries, scored from a
yard out early in the second to tie the game, and Marshall took a 21-14 lead
with 3:57 to play in the first half on a 6-yard touchdown catch from Gator
Hoskins.

Kilgore's 16-yard scoring toss to Christian Collis late in the half sent the
game into the break tied at 21-all.

Jordan Parker scored on a 1-yard run on the Blue Raiders' opening possession
of the second half, and Kevin Grooms countered with a 1-yard run of his own on
Marshall's next touch.

Kilgore took the ball in himself from a yard out and a Cody Clark 37-yard
field goal gave the Blue Raiders a 38-28 lead with 3:54 to play in the third,
but Cato found Tommy Shuler for a 6-yard score to make it a 38-35 game going
to the fourth.

Kilgore's 6-yard score to Corey Carmichael gave Middle Tennessee a 45-35 lead,
but touchdown runs of one yard from Grooms and two yards by Taliaferro gave
the Thundering Herd a 49-45 advantage.